COVID-19: South Korean doctors embark on full-scale strike amid virus resurgence

Doctors in South Korea have embarked on a full-scale strike as the country grapples with the resurgence of COVID-19 cases.

Reports say tens of thousands of doctors on Wednesday, defied a return-to-work order and threats of punishments to protest government’s medical workforce reform plan.

The three-day strike is organised by the Korean Medical Association (KMA), which has some 130,000 members, including interns and resident doctors at general hospitals and practitioners at neighbourhood clinics.

The medics are opposed to government plans to boost the number of medical students across several years, establish public medical schools, allow government insurance to cover more oriental medicine, and broaden the scope of telemedicine.

However government has threatened to revoke the licences of the doctors after failing to find a compromise on their broader concerns.

“The government now has no choice but to take necessary legal actions such as an order to open business to not put the citizens’ lives and safety in danger,” Health Minister Park Neung-hoo said in a briefing.

“We urge all trainee and fellow doctors to immediately return to work.”

“Those who do not follow the government order without probable cause could have their licences revoked and even face a maximum jail term of three years or a fine of less than 30 million won ($25,000),” he added.